How to Pick a Lock Using a Paperclip

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Have you ever lost a key and been in a desperate need to get in? As long as you can find yourself a couple paperclips, you can MacGyver your way in. It may not be pretty, but it usually gets the job done. See step 1 to get started.

Collect your materials. Most of what you need to pick a lock with a paperclip is easily accessible. You really only need three different things. The paperclips, one to act as lock pick, one to act as tension wrench, and a pair of pliers to shape the paperclips.[1]

Two big paperclips, one to act as tension wrench, one to act as the pick. There is no upper size limit, but you want to make sure that the width is not slim enough that it will fit into the lock and that the height is tall enough so that you can insert it into the lock while still holding onto enough length to turn them.

Grab a pair of pliers to shape the two paperclips. It's easier to use pliers than your hands.

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2

Unfold first paperclip into the lock pick. In order to do this, unfold the large edge of your paperclip twice until a straight portion juts out. You will be inserting the straight part into the lock to use as a pick.[2]

Some locksmiths also put a tiny upward bend into the tip of the pick. This is to depress the pins inside the lock, but is not strictly necessary.

3

Make your tension wrench. Take out both bends in the jumbo paperclip until the paperclip is two straight wires with a curve at the end. Press the curved end down with a wrench. Make a 90° bend in the curved end that's about 1 centimeter (0.4 in) long.[3]

Alternately, you could unfold an edge of your paperclip until a straight portion sticks out at a 90° angle. This is a basic tension wrench that is workable but not ideal.

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Part Two of Two:Picking Your Lock

1

Insert tension wrench into bottom of keyhole. The bottom of the keyhole is called the shear line. You want to apply pressure with the tension wrench here, in a rotational manner (which way the lock turns).[4]

It can take some practice to get the right amount of pressure. Too hard and you'll twist your paperclip out of shape. Too lightly and you won't put enough pressure on it to pick the lock.

2

Turn the wrench in the direction that the lock turns. This can be a bit hard to do if you're not sure which way it turns, but it's important to turn the wrench in the right way. There are a couple ways to test the lock and see which way the key would turn.[5]

If you know which way the lock turns in order to open, turn the tension wrench in that direction. If you don't know what direction the lock opens, guess to one side; on the first shot, you'll have a 50/50 chance of opening the lock.

If you have a sensitive touch, you can also feel which way the lock opens by turning with the tension wrench. Turn clockwise first, then counter-clockwise. You'll feel slightly less pressure when the wrench turns the right direction.

3

Insert pick into upper part of keyhole and “rake.” Raking is when you insert your pick to the back of the keyhole and remove it quickly while jiggling the pick upward. Do this a couple times to potentially set a few pins.

Keep pressure on tension wrench as you're doing this. If you don't the lock picking won't work properly.

Quickly doesn't mean yanking it out, but you want to move quickly enough that the motion is smooth. Again this is something that you have to get a feel for which is why few people are able to pick a lock on their first try.

4

Locate the pins inside the lock. Keeping pressure on the tension wrench, try to locate the pins inside the keyhole using your pick. Most American locks will have at least five pins that you'll need to set in order to open the lock.

You'll feel the pins against your lock pick when you insert it. This will tell you where you need to depress them.

5

Depress the pins. Be sure to apply rotational pressure to your tension wrench as you depress the pins. You should feel a slight give when you set the pins to their unlocked position, or even a slight clicking sound.

Experienced lock pickers can do this in what looks like one swift motion, but inexperienced pickers will need to use more deliberate motions to set each pin.

6

Jiggle pick until each pin unlocks. Applying more and more pressure with the tension wrench, jiggle the pick until each pin unlocks. When you hear a snap or click, be sure to rotate the tension wrench to unlock the lock.

I've always used the flat side of a bobby pin as the tension wrench because it doesn't just spin around like a paperclip, but still use paper clip as the pick, because a bobby pin is usually too thick and will get jammed in the tumblers. When that happens, you're done.

Can this be used on a regular Walmart bedroom door lock? My son keeps locking me out.

Community Answer

Yes, they are the most common type to do this on, but because they are cheaply made, the hole may not be directly in line with the inside pin, so you sometimes have to move the paperclip around in the knob a little bit until you find the pin, then just push.

Does the rotational pressure mean that I have to turn the wrench as I jiggle the pick?

Community Answer

No, just make sure there is continuous pressure, not a lot, on the wrench. It will not turn until you have all pins in place, and then it will open because you have pressure on it. When that happens, gently turn the wrench until the lock drops open.

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 53 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Together, they cited 5 references. This article has also been viewed 1,566,372 times.

To pick a lock using a paperclip, start by unfolding one paperclip so it's straight with a hook at the end and a second paperclip so it's bent at a 90-degree angle. Then, insert the bent end of the second paperclip into the lock and turn it in the direction the lock turns. Next, insert the first paperclip into the lock and jiggle it up and down quickly. Keep jiggling the first paperclip up and down and applying pressure to the second paperclip until the lock opens.